Closet-seat catch.



- PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903. F. M. ALEXANDER.

' CLOSET SEAT CATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1902.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1-,

no MODEL.

UNITED STATES 1 P TENT QFFICE.

FRANCIS MARION A LEXANDEFQOF PALESTINE, TEXAS.

CLO'S ET-ShA-T CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. reams, dated March 31, 1903. Application filed July 7, 1902. Serial No. -1 141642. or modelll seat shall be raised simultaneously therewith, l the said device being so constructed that when the lid has'been raised to its limit, car-- rying the seat with it, the device connecting the seat and 'lid may become automatically disengaged,'thus permitting the seat to be lowered without difficulty.

My invention has for its object to {provide a device of this class which shall possess superior advantages inpoint of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency, in which the device or catch connecting the lid with the seat shall be inclosed' within a protective casing, which at the same time forms a handle by means of which the lid may be raised, so that ordinarily thelid may not be raised without at the same time raising the seat.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the said protective casing as to form a guide for the catch or connecting device;

which latter may freely slide'within said casing without danger of accidental displacement. 7

With these and other ends in'view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a closet-hopper having my invention applied to the seat and lid thereof, the lid being shown in its open position with the seat'lowered. 'Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view,on a larger scale, showing the seat and lid closed. Fig. 3' is a perspective viewshowing the seat and lid-closed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showingthe seat'and lid in the act of being raised. Fig. 5 is asectional View showing the seat and lid open, but disconnected by the dropping of the catch or connecting device. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing a modified arrangementwhereby the seat, whenthe lid is open, is retained in connection therewith, the disconnection being effected by pressure upon the engaging end of the catch.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated bylike characters of reference. 1 designates the hopper, and 2 the cleat or ledge, to which the seat 3 and the lid 1 are connected by means of a three-leaf hinge 5.

upon. the upper side of the casting. The said catch is curved rearwardly at its lower end and isprovid'ed at its extreme lower end with anenlarged' hook portion 17, which forms the engagingpart of the catch, as will be presently seen.

' The screws or fastening means 18, which serve to attach the casting 7 to the lid, also serve for the attachment of the protective casing 19, which comprises a curved or loopsha'pedportion 20, the edges of which are provided with depending flanges 21, which perform the double. function of confining and guiding the weighted head portion 16 of the catch 15, the curvature of the loop-shaped portion 15 being such that the catch shall be guided thereby to a position at which it will be released from engagement with the seat member of the device, as will be presently seen. Thepart which has been described as the protective casing 19 is provided with flanges 22, which are perforated for the pasplate 28, which might also be properly described as a flange extending from the boX or casing 27, engages a recess 30 in the upper side of the seat, so as to have a limited lon gitudinal movement in said recess, the length of which slightly exceeds the length of said plate or flange. Screws 31 are employed to secu re the plate and its related parts at either of the extreme limits of its movement.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description when reference is bad to the figures of the accompanyingdrawings. When theseatand lid are lowered or closed, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the weight 16 at the head of the latch 15 forces the latter in a downward direction to which it is guided by the inclined plane 10, which engages the rearward portion of the head 16 and serves, in conjunction with the curvature of the casing 19, to guide the said catch to the position shown, at which its hook-shaped lower end engages under the beveled portion 28 of the casing 27, connect ed with the seat, the said hook-shaped portion of the catch being extended under and engaged with the recess 29 in the said beveled portion. \Vhen the lid is raised either by grasping the edge thereof or by using the casing 19 as a handle, the catch 15 remains in engagement with the catch member of the lid until the latter has been raised to a position past the vertical, when the Weighted head of the curved catch 15 will cause thelatter to drop or slide to the position shown in Fig. 5, thus disengaging it from the catch member connected with the seat, which latter may now be readily lowered. \Vhen the lid is lowered upon the seat, the weight of the catch 15 will cause it to automatically drop and reengage the catch member connected with the seat, it being necessarily guided in a forward direction by the incline 10. The inclined portion 11 is not essential as a guiding device, but is rather an incidental structural feature devised for the purpose of avoiding interference with the movement of the catch. Should it be desired to effect a connection between the lid and seat which shall not readily become disconnected automatically by the mere act of raising the lid, this may be effected by simply moving the catch member of the seat to its forward position, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. When this is done, the hook portion of the catch will get a grip upon the said catch member by engaging the notch 29 sufficient to prevent it from being automatically released by the weight of thecatch merely. When this is the case, the dislodgment of the catch may be readily effected by simply pushing its protruding inner end with the finger, so as to release it from the recess 29 in the under side of the beveled portion 28 of the catch member 27. When the seat is dropped and the lid is closed down thereon, the bevel 28 will guide the hook portion of the catch member 15 into its operative position, the said catch member 15 having, as will be seen, a free sliding connection with the casing in which it is mounted. The bevels 10 and 11 also serve as guides to engage the adjacent part of'the catch member 15. The protective casing 19 positively prevents displacement of the latter and ordinarily prevents the lid from being opened unless the seat is carried with it. To positively prevent this, the sides of the said protective casing might be entirely closed instead of being merely provided with the guide-flanges 21, herein shown and described.

In carrying out my invention I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of the operating parts of the device which have been herein shown and described, but reserve to myself the right to make any changes, alterations, or modifications which may be re sorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a curved slidable catch, of a lid-raising handle forming a casing confining the movement of the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a sliding catch member, of a lid-raising handle forming a casing confin ing the movement of the same, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, a slidable catch member extended within a lid-raising handle forming a casing which guides and limits the movement thereof, substantially as set forth.

at. In a device of the class described, a slidable catch member having an enlarged head,

the latter confined within a lid-raising handle forming a casing, substantially as set forth.

5. In a device of the class described, a slidable catch having an enlarged head, said head being confined within a lid-raising handle forming a casing, curved to guide the movement thereof, substantially as set forth.

6. In a device of the class described, a slidable catch mounted in a casing and having an enlarged head confined within an auxiliary casing forming a lid-raising handle, substantially as set forth.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing having a beveled guide, a sliding catch having a head engaging said beveled guide and an auxiliary casing forming aseat-raising handle and confining the head of the sliding catch.

8. In a device of the class described, a seat and a lid hingedly connected with each other and with a point of attachment, in combination with a casing mounted in the lid and having an inclined guide, a sliding catch ongaging said guide, and a catch member connected with the seat.

9. In a device of the class described, aseat and a lid hingedly connected with each other and with a point of attachment, in combination with a casing mounted in the lid and having an inclined guide, a sliding catch engaging said guide, a lid-raising handle forming a casing inclosing the head of the catch, and a catch member connected with the seat.

10. In a seat latching and raising device, the combination with a catch having sliding connection with the lid and adapted for temporary engagement with the seat, of a casing for the head of said catch having open sides to form a handle whereby the lid and seat may be raised, substantially as set forth.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a catch having slidable connection with the lid and having a hooked lower end, of a curved guard and guiding member confining the head of said catch and constituting a seatraising handle, and a catch member connected with the seat and adapted to be engaged by the hooked lower end of the slidable catch, substantially asset forth.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a catch having slidable connection with the lid and having a hooked lower end, of a catch member connected with the seat and longitudinally adjustable with relation thereto and having a beveled portion recessed in'its under side for engagement with the hook of the slidable catch, substantially as set forth.

13. In a device of the class described, a lidraising handle forming a casing, and a seatengaging latch guided in said casing, substantially as set forth.

14. In a device of the class described, a lidraising handle forming a casing and having 

